Squeezable Hummus That’s Not from the Old Country

Flavored hummus is becoming something of a trend. Until recent decades, hummus itself was relatively obscure outside of New York and other particularly cosmopolitan enclaves. But as the condiment (easy to make yourself from mashed chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic) has become a healthy-eating staple, it has begun that inevitable American gastronomic journey from faithful reminder of the homeland to innovative, jazzed-up, reinvented trend food.

One of the most intriguing incarnations of flavored hummus is Ami’s Squeeze Z Hummus, a product currently sold in the greater New York area. Available in Dill, Classic, and Spicy flavors, Ami’s main claim to fame is that it’s the only squeezable hummus out there.

When compared with premium competitors (such as the new Tribe Origins line of flavored hummus), Ami’s is a mellower product. Tribe Origins Spicy Red Pepper hummus packed a richly textured swirl of red pepper flavor and considerable spicy bite; Ami’s Spicy hummus was a milder, lighter, gentler experience, and far more homogeneous.

The very existence of Ami’s will irritate purists (case in point: a scathing review from a writer who didn’t bother tasting the product), and there’s no getting around the fact that it doesn’t taste homemade. Neither, of course, does Heinz ketchup, a convenient, reliable, well-balanced condiment that rightfully claimed a place in fridges from coast to coast. Ami’s is what it is: a mild-mannered, easy-to-squeeze hummus product that should help further popularize one of the world’s great foods.